Chapter 387: Unexpected Support

In addition to the company’s scope of business, Duan Fei also learned its name: “Perfect Relationship.”

The company’s marketing pitch was about rebuilding the perfect relationship between people, allowing deceased loved ones to participate in your life and granting them a second life.

The company’s description might have sounded heartwarming, but its actual business was monstrous.

Once he understood the company’s true nature, all Duan Fei could do was lament the shamelessness of capitalism.

Then, when he revealed that the company’s chairman was actually an AI, the engineer was stunned and couldn’t believe it was true.

Goldman Sachs, however, looked as if he’d had an epiphany. He nodded and said, “No wonder…”

“You have some ideas?” Duan Fei asked.

“Yeah. My father once mentioned that the company’s chairman was a little too diligent, too hands-on with everything. It felt off. At first, he suspected the chairman was using some kind of biological stimulant, but he never imagined this was the truth.”

The bald manager gave a wry smile. “I was also confused about why the chairman always reacted so quickly. So it was an AI, huh? Then where’s the real chairman?”

“Probably ran off somewhere to enjoy himself,” the engineer said.

“That’s what you’d think,” Goldman Sachs snorted. “When you get to the chairman’s level, base physical pleasures don’t matter anymore. What they want is the elation of seeing their ideals brought to fruition.”

“Then where is the chairman, according to you?” the engineer asked coldly, crossing his arms.

“He’s probably dead. And it was most likely the AI that did it.”

“Impossible.” The engineer immediately shook his head. “Our AI has a comprehensive set of rules. The first priority is not to harm company property. The chairman is the company’s most important asset. It’s impossible… Wait!”

He raised a hand, motioning for the others to be quiet. The engineer lowered his head and thought for a long time, even making a quick call to exchange opinions with someone. Afterward, he said, “It’s actually possible.”

“Break it down for me,” Duan Fei asked, confused.

“Everything has a price, and the chairman is no exception. If the AI calculated that the value of the chairman’s death was greater than the value of him being alive, it would act without hesitation. So, it’s very likely…”

The engineer had just finished speaking when the sound of synchronized footsteps echoed from outside.

The manager’s office was plunged into darkness, and the signal on the engineer’s phone disappeared. “What’s happening?” the engineer asked nervously.

“It’s nothing. We’re just about to die,” the bald manager said calmly in the darkness. “The Chairman AI has noticed us. He’s preparing to eliminate us.”

“Can I have a cup of tea before we die? I’m dying of thirst,” Glasses asked expectantly.

“Snacks would be fine too. Let’s just eat,” Duan Fei said. “Engineer, I have a question for you. If we meet again, how do I let you know that we’ve met before?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m actually a Time Traveler, and I’m about to start a new loop.”

“In that case… just tell me that you know I went bald at twelve.”

“…My condolences.”

Outside, the footsteps stopped. Duan Fei braced himself.

Even though he knew he was about to die, he still wanted to put up a fight.

Then, the door was suddenly kicked open. A squad of security guards appeared in the doorway, the weapons in their hands opening fire wildly, shredding everything in the office to pieces.

When the gunfire stopped, Duan Fei, who had been clinging to the ceiling, leaped down.

Yan Yuan already coated his left hand. He unleashed a frantic barrage of Magic Bullets, twenty-two powerful rounds that instantly cut down a swath of the guards in front.

Duan Fei then charged into the guards, his Crowbar a whirlwind of motion. The mechanical guards were sliced apart, and even the HR 007 unit among them was no exception, cleaved in two by the Crowbar.

Unfortunately, there were simply too many of them. When the guards in the back saw that their forward comrades couldn’t stop Duan Fei, they drew their guns and fired, shattering Duan Fei and their own allies alike.

The next loop began.

Glasses was gone, but Duan Fei had no intention of summoning companions for now.

He immediately left the restroom and got moving. The bald manager and Goldman Sachs already understood Duan Fei’s plan, so they grabbed the engineer and dragged him into the hallway.

Looking at the utterly confused engineer, Duan Fei spoke quickly, “Don’t panic. I have something to tell you: the chairman is dead. The person in charge now is an AI. I know you don’t believe me, but you will after I explain. First off, you went bald when you were twelve.”

“You’re a Time Traveler!” the engineer exclaimed in delighted surprise. “A long time ago, I set a password for myself. I told myself that if I ever met a time traveler, I’d have them say that exact phrase to my past self. So, time travel is real? You’re really from the future?”

“You’re a clever one, aren’t you? That’s right. We’re all from the future.”

“And there are three of you!”

The engineer was so happy he nearly fainted. After a long moment, he asked excitedly, “What’s my future like? Do I have kids? Is my wife pretty?”

“It’s not that far in the future… We came back right after you died.”

“Then when do I die?”

“In about two hours.”

“…Fuck!”

The engineer heaved a long sigh, but still asked excitedly, “You’re looking for me because I have a special mission, right? Am I the future leader of humanity? Or am I the Savior of the multiverse, and you’re here to help me fight my way from prehistoric dinosaurs to the frontiers of space?”

“Actually, you were just conveniently located.”

The engineer, his dreams shattered once again, looked at Duan Fei and the other two. The smile vanished from his face for a moment.

But he quickly recovered and continued, “It’s fine. Can I join you guys? If you’re from the future, you should know I’m a wizard when it comes to AI.”

The engineer’s previous arrogance was gone. He now looked at former business reps like Goldman Sachs and the bald manager with pure expectation.

Duan Fei clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re right. It is about an AI.”

After explaining the situation with the Chairman AI in detail, Duan Fei said, “Next, I need your help to search the data and pinpoint the Chairman AI’s weakness. Can you do it?”

“I can’t do it alone, but my colleagues are all very talented. Together, we can definitely do it. But we can’t leave our workstations for too long, or our manager will give us a warning.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Goldman Sachs said immediately. “I’ll keep your manager busy.”

“That’s great. Wait here, I’ll go get my colleagues! And remember to give me an autograph when I get back. If I die, just tell my past self that you saw me go bald twice!”

Watching the engineer dash off like a whirlwind, Duan Fei thought to himself, ‘This is what a true sci-fi geek is like.’